How to Absorb Books 3x Faster in 7 Days (from a Med Student)

Summary

The video outlines a 'Triforce Method' for drastically increasing reading speed. It first explains techniques to improve baseline reading rate, like removing internal dialogue and using a visual tracker. It then discusses the 80/20 rule - focusing on the 20% most important content. Finally, it emphasizes comprehending material through summarizing and taking action. The goal is to read faster while retaining key information better. It mentions applying these strategies for academics and contrasts reading for utility versus enjoyment.

Takeaways

• 😀 Use Speeder website to remove internal monologue while reading to increase baseline reading speed
• 😎 Use a visual tracker like your finger to keep your eyes moving smoothly across text
• 📈 Apply 80/20 rule - speed read most pages, slow down for key nuggets of info
• 🤓 Summarize every page in 1-2 lines to boost comprehension and retention
• 👍 Consolidate learning by taking action after reading non-fiction books
• 🔢 Triple typing speed in 7 days by taking action from video advice
• 🙌 Scored top 1% on med school exams by quickly extracting info from paragraphs
• 😖 Reading without changing behavior means you haven't actually learned
• ⌛ Internal monologue limits you to reading one word at a time, capping speed
• 📚 Reading purely for enjoyment doesn't require speed techniques

Q & A

What is the Triforce method for reading faster?

The Triforce method is a 3-part strategy to increase reading speed. It involves: 1) Improving baseline reading speed by removing internal monologue and using a visual tracker 2) Having a reading strategy using the 80/20 rule 3) Summarizing and consolidating after reading to improve retention

How can you remove your internal monologue when reading?

You can use a website like Spreeder that displays words progressively so you process them visually rather than hearing them in your head. This removes the limit of reading one word at a time.

What is the purpose of using a visual tracker when reading?

A visual tracker like your finger keeps your eyes moving smoothly across text. This prevents doubling back and re-reading sentences, which slows you down.

What is the 80/20 rule for reading non-fiction?

The 80/20 rule says that 80% of knowledge comes from 20% of the book. For non-fiction, you can speed-read most pages but slow down when you encounter a key insight to absorb it.

Why is summarizing important when reading?

Summarizing forces your brain to engage with the text, improving comprehension and retention. It helps you distinguish what's important rather than trying to memorize everything.

How can you consolidate knowledge from a non-fiction book?

Consolidating means taking action based on what you read, like keeping track of habits after reading Atomic Habits. This leads to actual learning and behavior change.

How did the strategies help the narrator succeed academically?

The narrator used these reading and comprehension methods to score in the top 1% on medical school admission exams by quickly extracting key information.

Why read faster if you miss comprehension?

There's no benefit to reading faster without good comprehension. You adapt speed depending on the purpose - speed read then slow down to absorb key insights.

When would you not use these reading techniques?

You may opt not to use these intensive reading techniques if your purpose is enjoyment, like leisurely reading fiction or poetry.

Where can you learn to triple typing speed in 7 days?

The narrator refers to another one of their videos that teaches how to triple typing speed in just 7 days, which viewers can access by clicking the provided link.